


Monica's Back

by Gallavichfiction



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:00:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2652893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallavichfiction/pseuds/Gallavichfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Monica returns to the neighborhood, Ian tries to convince his family to let her to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monica's Back

Ian was back at the Kash n’ Grab, Mickey and he had finally worked out his meds, and they realized this was the best job for him right now. The club was too loud, too wild and…too unpredictable. But the Kash n’ Grab he was used to, he knew all the customers, knew where everything was, and knew exactly how Linda liked to run the store.

There were rarely any surprises. However, Ian was surprised when he saw someone he did not expect enter the store…Monica.

Ian was working behind the cash register when he saw the familiar blond hair come in through the door, “Monica?” He asked bewildered.

“Ian!!” Monica cooed and ran up to pull him into a hug. Ian kept his arms at his sides and did not hug her back. “How are you doing sweetie? How is everyone?” Monica asked.

“Fine…” Ian answered evasively. The last time he had seen Monica was when he had ditched the army and was looking for a place to crash. She was living in a rundown house with fifteen other crack addicted losers. That was until she ran out on him for a meth dealer, leaving Ian to take care of himself. Typical Monica.

Ian stared at his mother who was catching him up on what she had been doing over the past few months, “and then I was in Mexico crashing with this wonderful woman Rosita, who has an amazing tongue…”

Ian fazed in and out of listening. He pulled out his meds remembering it was his time for another dose. “So there we were in California, barbecue sause was everywhere…is that Valium?” Monica asked noticing the pills in Ian’s hand before he tossed them in his mouth.

“Yeah…”Ian said shrugging as he took a small chug from his water bottle washing the pills down.

 

“Are you…”Monica asked biting her lip, her hands squirming, then she leaned in close to her son and whispered “bi polar?”

“Uh yeah” Ian looked away, and shrugged again. 

“Oh my poor baby!!” Monica said, hugging him tightly, a little too tightly, “Don’t worry though hon, it doesn’t have to control your life, I mean…look at me!” Monica said gesturing at herself,”I’m happier than ever!”

Ian smiled in spite of himself, “How have you managed all these years?” The Gallaghers had known for years about Monica’s mental illness, but until Ian was diagnosed he never realized just how challenging it really was.

"Well I always preferred to self-medicate myself" Monica laughed, winking at Ian, but her smile slowly smoothed into a serious expression, "but I probably wouldn’t recommend that for you, sweetie, I’ve woken up in too many strange places, wearing stranger outfits that way."

Ian smiled, ever since he was diagnosed he had a new found respect for his mother. Yes, he knew she was flighty and unpredictable and an addict…but he was still trying to find the line of how much of that was the disease and how much was Monica. “So where have you been staying?” 

"Just in the back of a friend’s van…" Monica said trailing off, as she looked through the different kinds of chips in the store.

Ian looked at his mother thoughtfully and sympathetically, “You should… you should come live with us.” Ian and Mickey had moved back in with the Gallaghers two weeks after he started the treatment. Fiona and Mickey had come to an agreement that it was important for him to be with his loving family, until he was on his feet. Somehow even a month after he was ‘back on his feet’ the two boys were still crashing in the basement.

"Are you sure?" Monica asked, her eyes widening "The others won’t mind?" 

Ian shrugged, “It’s my house too.”

After Ian’s shift was over he and Monica walked together to the Gallagher house, and this time it was Ian who opened up to Monica. He told her everything that she missed, “Mickey got married and had a baby…Fiona went to prison…but Liam’s okay now…Frank was dying but he had a liver transplant so he’s okay now too…Carl has a girlfriend…Debbie has a boyfriend, kind of…Mickey lives with me now…Lip is acing college…Frank married Sheila…”

"What?" Monica said turning to Ian shocked.

"Which part?" 

"Frank?" Monica burst out in an exhale, "and…Sheila?"

"Yeah." Ian said as they walked up the steps of the Gallagher home.

Monica paused at the bottom of the stairs holding onto the banister as if to steady herself, “But, he’s…he’s married to me!” Monica’s gaze blurred and Ian could see her start to go into the darkness. It was strange to see from the other side.

"Mom," Ian said calmly, placing his hand gently on her back, "It’s okay, don’t worry, everything will be okay." Monica leaned on him as he guided her up the stairs and into the house.

Lip was working on homework in the living room, when Ian came in, and he could hear Fiona bustling about in the kitchen. Lip was the first to look up from his books and notice Monica, “No fucking way.” Lip raised his voice then, emphasizing each word shooting them out of his mouth like bullets from a gun, “NO FUCKING WAY”

Fiona could hear Lip, and she came into the living room to see what the ruckus was about. She stopped mid-step, when she saw Monica standing beside Ian in the doorway. Her face darkened, and she glared at her mother, “Get out of my goddamn house.”

"Well technically," Monica mumbled seeming to be slowly fading in and out of her low, "it’s my house too."

 

"HA!" Fiona burst out, "Do you pay cousin Patrick every month to sublet? I didn’t fucking think so! Get out of my GODDAMN house" She then lowered her voice to a whisper, but loud enough so everyone in the room could still hear her easily, "right now."

Monica was now leaning, almost all her weight, entirely on Ian. Ian turned to his family angrily, “Come the fuck on? Why can’t she stay?”

Lip and Fiona turned each other with angry amusement. “Are you fucking serious right now?” Lip asked. “You know why?”

"Because she’s bi-polar?" Ian asked bitterly,venom seeping into his words, "You going to throw me out too?"

"They better not, ‘cause then they’d have me to deal with." Ian turned to see Mickey standing on the stairs, his arms crossed, "The fuck is going on here?" Mickey looked from Monica to Ian, from Lip to Fiona, trying desperately to get a handle on the situation.

"I just wanted my mom to stay here for a couple days."

"Oh so she’s mom now?" Lip muttered throwing down his pen onto the coffee table. 

Suddenly Monica lost all ability (or will) to stand for herself and she curled on the floor. “Monica?”

Mickey was the first one to step into action, he put his hand on Monica’s shoulder, “Hey, Mrs Gallagher,” His deep voice full of a sensitive compassion he usually reserved for Ian only, “Don’t worry, I’m just going to help you to a bed.” The thug gently picked up Monica, cradling her in his arms. Ian practically glowed at him, but Mick didn’t notice.

Mickey looked at Fiona and Lip questioningly, “Where do I put her?” Fiona sighed and looked at Lip. Lip rubbed his hands over his face in exhausted frustration.

Fiona shrugged, “Just put her in Lip’s room.” She turned to Lip, “You’re sleeping on campus tonight anyway right?”

Lip shrugged, “Guess I am now.” He said snapping his books shut, he pointed his finger at Ian, “You better know what you’re doing”

Mickey was already halfway up the stairs with Monica, when Fiona turned to Ian. “She is your responsibility, she makes a mess…you clean it up.” Ian nodded, and Fiona pulled him in for a tight hug, “and we would never ever throw you out.”

Ian found his way upstairs where Mickey was tucking Monica into Lip’s bed. He looked at the caretaker lovingly and leaned down and kissed him on the mouth softly. “Thank you.” 

Mickey just shrugged,”She’s your mom.”


End file.
